The Dead Case
by Mossnose
Summary: Based off of the game of the same name. A ghost, with no memories of his past, attempts to find out how he died. Will he be able to rediscover his past and help his fellow ghosts pass on to the spirit world? Rated T for gun violence. AU


A/N: I came up with this really randomly. It's based off of the online game with the same name.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

**The Dead Case**

Twilight Town Graveyard was a quiet place that no one went to often. People claimed that they could hear the voices of the dead there, and feared that it was haunted. These fears were partly true, for a ghost did wander among the silent graves, confused and alone. But he wasn't haunting it, though; he just couldn't figure out how to leave.

He sighed sadly and turned his gaze to the rapidly darkening sky. He hadn't even been awake for five minutes and he had managed to find so many questions that needed answering. Who was he? How did he die? Why was there a barrier keeping him from leaving? Did anyone care that he was dead? Could anyone see him? Frustration began to build up, and he sighed again.

Presently, a noise caught his attention. Laughter, accompanied by crying. Curious, he moved right to the eastern edge of the barrier, following the sound. Three kids were tormenting a tiny red haired girl, holding her necklace just out of reach. "Give it back!" she cried. "Shock, Lock, Barrel, you three are the worst!"

"Aw, is little baby Kairi gonna cry?" Shock taunted.

"If you really want it back, come get it!" Lock jabbed.

"But I'm really scared! There are ghosts here!"

"Ha! Everyone knows there's no such thing as ghosts, baby!" Barrel laughed.

The ghost growled in anger. How could those kids be so horrible? They say there's no such thing as ghosts? Well, he was going to prove them wrong. A thick, dark aura surrounded him, getting their attention. He growled fiercely, scaring all four of them.

"I told you!" Kairi screamed.

"Ghost!" They all ran for it, frightened by his sudden appearance. The necklace was left behind.

"Okay, maybe I overdid it a little," he said to himself. He hadn't meant to frighten that little girl away as well. So her name was Kairi… he'd keep that in mind. He picked up the necklace just in case he ran into her again. Satisfied, he leaned back against the barrier.

Only to fall flat on his face when he realized the barrier was gone.

Stunned, he got back up. It had been there a moment ago, hadn't it? Confused, he took a few steps past where it should have been. After some careful experimentation (in other words, floating as far as he could before crashing into it) he determined that the barrier had moved farther away, allowing him to leave the graveyard, but still confining him. This was a good opportunity for him; now he could go take a better look around and possibly find some answers.

* * *

His range now included a church (which he had quickly determined was empty) and a library with an open window. The lights were on, confusing him a little. Shouldn't it be closed? Why would someone leave a light on if no one was there? Taking a chance, he floated up into the open window.

A ghost was hovering over by a bookshelf, unaware of his presence. He was an older man, with black hair in a topknot and dark eyes. A warm light enveloped his body, exuding a calming sensation. A light robe covered his body, accenting the aura. Currently he was looking over at some books on the shelf, but the ghost couldn't read their titles from where he stood.

"Excuse me," he finally said, getting the other's attention. "Could you help me?"

"Oh? So another new face has shown up… how may I help you?" he asked kindly.

"Well, I have some questions that need answers. First off, who are you?"

"When I was alive, my name was Eraqus Hikari. Would you believe it took me about three years to remember that? Well, these days I'm just called the library ghost. When everyone else leaves here, I look after this place. I've also been doing my own research here," he answered.

"Research? You mean gathering information?"

"That's exactly it. I spend my time looking through old news articles and research materials. I sometimes leave them on the desk to look at them later, so if you see anything on the desk, you're welcome to it."

"Thank you. I've also found a weird barrier keeping me locked up in a certain area. Do you know anything about that?"

"I do. That barrier marks the end of your territory," he explained. "More powerful ghosts have a farther range of motion than the weaker ones, so the stronger you become, the farther the barrier will extend. Also, I'm still trying to figure out why this is, but unless someone's left a door open, ghosts can't enter houses."

"I see. So, what's it like being a ghost? I haven't been one for long, as far as I know, so I don't really know."

"Not very useful, for one thing! It's hard to pick up even the smallest objects unless you're a powerful ghost. Then there are those barriers you mentioned before, and the fact that the shock of death makes it hard for us to remember our lives. If you run into any trouble with being a ghost, just ask me for advice and I'll be glad to give it."

"Thanks. I also noticed that the barrier extended after I ended up scaring some kids at the graveyard. Why did that happen?"

"To be honest, I'm surprised they could even see you. From what I know, ghosts gain more power when more people believe in them. Scaring them made them believe you existed, so you got stronger. But you could've been a little nicer about it."

"I admit I overdid it a bit," he said sheepishly. "Do you know anything about someone who's died recently?" he asked, hoping to find something about his own.

"There've been a few, sadly. The police are covering yours up, I know that for a fact, but I don't know why. I also know there was a fire recently, and a woman died in it. I don't know any details yet, but I'm researching it now."

"So, what should I do now?"

"The best thing to do is look around and try to increase your power level. That will increase your range and let you explore other new areas. I also heard a rumor that there was some supernatural activity at the church."

"Is that normal around here?"

"Not usually. Twilight Town has been calm recently except for all of the strange deaths. Not all of them are connected, which makes it harder to research them."

"You mentioned that you were able to get your memory back. How do I do that?"

"From what I've gathered, every ghost needs a different trigger to remember things. I only remembered who I was through extensive research; you might need a different method."

"So it's possible for me to get my memories back… thank you," the ghost said with a faint smile.

"Any more questions?" Eraqus asked.

"Just one more for now. What do I look like? I can't exactly see myself clearly."

"Use the mirror in the corner. Ghosts can see their own reflections, but it's a little blurry because we don't have physical bodies." The ghost nodded and floated over to a small mirror on the wall. He could make out spiky brown hair, blue eyes, a black T-shirt, and long tan pants from what he could see. A dark aura surrounded him, contrasting the light he had seen before.

"At least it's something. Thank you for everything."

"You're welcome. Don't be a stranger, now; I don't get visitors often."

The young ghost floated back out the window that he had entered from, mulling over this new information. So the police were covering up his death… why? He had gotten some answers, but some questions still buzzed around, annoying him. Remembering the mention of supernatural activity at the church, he decided to check it out. He really had nothing better to do.

* * *

After scaring a couple more people (hey, it worked) to get a bit stronger, he made it to the church. A bright light was shining out the windows and open door, almost like a fire. Curious, he entered. A ghost that he hadn't seen before was sitting on one of the pews. Her clothes and short hair were dark, her skin was pale, and her lips were a bright ruby red. A bright red aura like fire surrounded her body.

"Excuse me," he said, trying to get her attention. She turned to him, eyes blazing with fury. "I was wondering if you'd answer a few questions for me."

"How dare you speak to me?" she snapped. "I'm obviously in no state to deal with your stupid questions! GET OUT!" she raged. She disappeared in a bright burst of flame, leaving him surprised and confused.

"What did I say?" he said to open air. Puzzled, he decided to check the graveyard again. Maybe his name would be on his headstone. That would help; at least, a little bit. On his way, he noticed a kid sitting on a grave. Well, that was disrespectful of the dead. One good scare later, the grave was left undisturbed.

In the few short minutes he'd been around as a ghost, the graveyard had begun to feel like home. He knew where his grave was; he'd memorized the location, just in case. His name would be on the headstone, right? Wrong; whoever made it hadn't gotten around to adding his name yet. Only the dates gave a hint: 1981-2010 revealed that he died at 29 years of age. So old age wasn't the cause of death. That was one option down, and hundreds more to go.

* * *

Well, after scaring three more people, his range should have increased, right? It did. First, he went right back to the library and moved over to the western part that he hadn't been able to reach before. A fountain was in front of the building, and there was something off in the water. A closer look revealed a pair of blue ghost eyes. He hadn't even known that ghosts _could _lose their eyes. Shrugging, he gingerly removed them from the water; someone might be looking for them.

Further south revealed the wreckage of a house. The wood was charred and the door frame still stood even after the walls were gone. Obviously, this was the house that had caught fire. A wedding photograph had survived, so he took that with him as well. Who knew who might be looking for it?

Travelling east, he found a hospital. He had been on its roof before, but he hadn't been able to go any farther to get a better look. Well, he could now. A window was open, so he followed his curiosity and entered. The room was empty except for another ghost. This one was a boy with black, spiky hair and amber eyes. He wore a black t-shirt with ripped sleeves, blue jeans with torn rims, and a black dog collar with spikes around his neck. He was surrounded by a sickly green aura.

"Hey," he greeted.

"Hi," the ghost greeted back. "What's your name?"

"I don't really remember," he scowled, crossing his arms. "Could you stay here for a bit? It's been a long time since I've talked to someone."

"Alright." It got quiet for a bit before he decided to continue the conversation. "So, what's it like being a ghost?"

"I hate it. I've heard some ghosts like it, but I can't stand it. Aren't we supposed to rest in peace after we die? I haven't been able to rest since I died."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"Well, don't be. Just between you and me, I hear there's a way out of this. I've heard things from that library ghost about a gate that leads to the other side, but he also said it's hard to open."

"I'll have to remember to ask him about that. So why are you here in this hospital?"

"I really don't know," the black-haired boy sighed. "I hate it here, and yet I can't bring myself to leave. Maybe I'll find out why if I stay here long enough, but that's just a guess."

The next question came out before he could stop it. "How did you die?"

"Do you know how personal that is?" he snapped.

"Not really, no."

"Well, it doesn't matter now." he sighed, annoyed. "I don't remember how I died, but I've noticed that the aura around a ghost indicates how they died. Take a look at mine. What do you see?"

"Well… it's green, and it looks kind of sickly."

"Exactly. I don't really know what it means, but for now, I'm guessing poison," he answered. "I'm not sure what a black aura like that means, though."

"Maybe I'll figure it out. For now, I'm going to go look around Twilight Town some more."

"Good luck with that," he scoffed.

* * *

He left through the window and continued east until he hit the barrier again. This time, he made it to a treehouse in someone's lawn. Noticing a candle, he picked it up and brought it with him. It might end up coming in handy. Turning north, he approached a school. A weeping sound caught his attention, and he followed it.

Another ghost sat on the school basketball court. This one was a woman with short black hair wearing a long black dress down to her ankles. The aura surrounding her was blue and flowed like water. She was sobbing heavily, and he felt bad for her. When her hands moved away from her eyes for a brief moment, he could see that they were missing. So _she _was the owner of those eyes he had found in the fountain!

"What's your name?" he asked hopefully. Maybe she knew.

"I just… I just don't know…" she answered through her tears.

"So, what's it like being a ghost?"

"It's okay, I guess. It could be worse, after all. But then again, maybe not," she sighed.

"I don't know the answer to that one. So why are you here at this school?"

"I just really like it here. I love to watch the children."

"Why?"

"I just like children in general. Don't you?"

"I guess. Have you been able to remember anything?"

"No; my memory is blank. I'm so very lonely here…"

"Have you heard anything about a gate to the spirit world?" he asked, changing the subject.

"Yes, I have. But I have no idea how to open it. I'm sorry I couldn't help."

"It's fine; I enjoyed talking to you. I should probably go now, but I'll visit soon," he assured.

"Thank you."

* * *

He returned to the library quickly after finishing his round. The barrier now had receded far enough for him to search the whole town. Now he felt that going back to where he started was the best thing to do. Maybe Eraqus could answer a few questions for him. Eraqus once again welcomed him warmly into the library.

"Eraqus, I've been speaking to a few of the ghosts around town, and they mentioned something about a spirit gate. What exactly is that?"

"It's exactly what the name implies; a gateway to the spirit world. The only way to open it is focusing the power of ghosts. I'm still trying to research that, but if I find something, I'll tell you."

"What do you know about that boy ghost in the hospital?"

"He's the one I know the least about. I know there was a hospital scandal recently, and I've been trying to find out if he's connected to it."

"What about the ghost by the school?"

"She enjoys talking to others and seems very sad and lonely. But judging by her attitude, I don't think she died of natural causes."

"And the ghost in the church that yelled at me?"

"I should've warned you before that she's very temperamental and doesn't like men; I apologize. I've never visited her myself, but I think the fiery aura around her has some clue to how she died."

"Thank you for your time."

"Not at all; it was my pleasure. Also, I have some notes on the desk if you want to look."

Curious, he looked at the notes. They had basic information on the three ghosts that he had met around town. For the ghost in the church, she most likely died in a fire two weeks ago in the south-west building. The fire was most likely set by one of the inhabitants: Mr. or Mrs. Blackheart. For the hospital ghost, a young man died of uncertain causes, and a ghost had been tormenting the doctors ever since. For the school ghost, no known murders could be connected to her, so she was still a mystery.

"How do I open the gate?" he absently asked.

"In order to do that, you need to convince the other three ghosts in town to help focus their energy along with us. It just might be enough to work."

"Do you know any major details about them? It might help me convince them."

"Let's see… the hospital ghost is still difficult, but apparently a young man about his age named Ventus Gale has been drinking almost non-stop since he arrived. He could be a family member, but I'm not sure. The school ghost lost her eyes recently due to how absent-minded she is. The church ghost tends to move around a lot, but the church is her favorite place. Maybe if you check her old house, you might find something."

"And yourself?"

"Come and talk to me when you get the others convinced. I'll help focus the gate when you get it set up."

"Alright; I'll get right on it."

* * *

He started by making a quick round of the northernmost area of Twilight Town, just in case he missed anything important. On his round, he spotted a young man with spiky blond hair passed out against a street lamp, an empty beer can on the ground next to him. This was probably that Ventus person that Eraqus had mentioned. Picking up the beer can just in case, he continued on. One of the houses had an open window, so he slipped in and took a second candle before leaving.

First, he decided to check the church. She'd be tough to convince, so he felt he should get her taken care of first. She was sitting in the same spot she'd been in before, but she seemed like she was in a better mood than before. When she glared at him, her eyes were more like cold fire this time. "What do you want?" she demanded.

"I'm sorry to bother you, but I need to ask you a few questions," he said carefully. She raised an eyebrow, but said nothing in response. "What's your name?"

"If I knew that, I'd probably be haunting my home instead of this church," she grumbled. "I don't like it, but I don't know where I _should_ be."

"What about your death?"

"I'd much rather be alive. Are you done with these questions?"

"Not yet. Do you remember your past life?"

"Do you remember yours?"

"…No."

"I rest my case; we don't just _remember _our past lives whenever we feel like it."

"What's it like being a ghost?"

"You get used to it after a while. Preferably away from here; I've had enough trouble with idiot males," she hissed.

"What do you think about the other ghosts?"

"The one by the school is whiny, the one at the hospital is awful, and the one in the library is pushy. Are you done yet?"

"Just one more thing; I went to your house and found this photo. Do you know anything about it?" he asked, handing it to her. She was quiet as she looked it over for a moment.

"Oh my… I had forgotten… how could I have forgotten?"

"Did you remember something?"

"Yes; a lot, actually. For starters, my name was Maleficent Blackheart. I wish I could remember my maiden name so I wouldn't be stuck with my husband's name in the afterlife! That was a picture of me and my husband, but I don't want to talk about that bastard. I thought he was cheating on me, so I investigated the basement, but I don't remember anything after that."

"What about the fire?"

"I didn't start it. I know there was something down there, some form of evidence, but I just can't remember. You want to open the gate, right? I'll help if you just let me think about things for a few minutes."

"Alright; I have somewhere else to go anyways. Thanks for talking to me."

"I should be thanking you for finding that photo."

* * *

His next stop was the school; he really needed to return these eyes to the ghost there. He'd gotten lucky with Maleficent; maybe he'd get lucky again here. He approached the still crying ghost and handed her the eyes. "Are these yours?" he asked.

"I don't believe it! You've found them! Thank you so much!" she said happily, managing to smile. She returned the bright blue orbs to their rightful place and blinked a few times to get used to it. "It's much easier to watch children with eyes, you know."

"I can imagine. As a matter of fact, a child I met dropped this a while back, and I've been meaning to return it to her," he said, showing her the necklace.

"It's lovely. Come to think of it, I bought a necklace like that once a long time ago. I remember my name was Xion Twilight. My husband Riku had died in a construction accident, and all I had left to remember him by was the unborn child I carried at the time. I bought a beautiful necklace, intending to give it to her when she was older. But there were complications… she was stillborn. And that's when I… I don't want to say it! I was just so sad! I'm not expecting much from my afterlife, considering what I did, but it's probably more than just this."

"Will you help me to open the gate?" he asked hopefully.

"Yes, whenever you're ready. It's the least I can do after all you've done for me."

* * *

He headed straight to the hospital after that. The young ghost was in his usual spot, still looking cross. "Did you manage to remember anything?" he asked.

"No, nothing yet. I can't have been dead for too long; I'd say about a week. Would you believe a bum was the only person who came to my funeral besides me? That's just not right!"

"How far can you go?"

"Pretty far. I can go from lake in the west to the mall over in the east. In other words, really far outside of this town.

"Because of you tormenting the doctors, I'm guessing?"

"Bingo. I hate doctors and get a real kick out of haunting them. Everyone needs a hobby, and mine is haunting doctors," he said with a shrug. "But I really don't want to be a ghost anymore. The only thing is that I want to find out who I was first."

"I just have one more question. Does this look familiar?" he asked, handing him the beer can. He was quiet for a moment as he studied the can before he spoke up again.

"Now I remember that day. I suffered here until my life finally ended. This hospital wasn't the only thing to blame!" he snapped.

"You remember now?" Wow, those triggers really worked.

"Yeah, I remember. My name was Vanitas Shade. I had this motorcycle, and I was always on the move. I loved travelling; just the feeling of being able to go wherever I wanted whenever I wanted." He sighed happily at the memory before his expression darkened. "I was hit by a drunk driver the night I died. I remember a bit more about my death, but I don't want to tell you right now. All I'll say is this; I finally know why I stay in this hospital."

"Let me guess; revenge?"

"Yeah, it's revenge! If I don't pass on before it happens, I'll get my revenge slowly and painfully!" he cackled.

"So will you help me open the gate?"

"Sure, why not?"

* * *

Another success; the time had finally come! He returned to the library happier than he had ever been before. "Wonderful! You've gotten all three to agree to help!" Eraqus congratulated. "Now it's time to set things up. You'll need to get three candles, light them, and set them up near the ghosts."

"Where would be the best spots?"

"The best place would be the highest point nearby. For example, the church candle should probably go on top of the church."

"Got it."

* * *

He started by bringing his candle count up to three by finding another one alongside some flowers on a grave. At the church, Maleficent was only too happy to light the candles for him. The candles were placed in their rightful positions; one on the roof of the church, one on top of the swing-set, and the last on the hospital roof above Vanitas' window. He returned to the library, and the procedure began. All five ghosts concentrated their energy, and three lights shot up from the three candles, creating a bright white light in the sky. The ghost floated up to it and gingerly reached out his hand towards the gateway to the other side.

And a barrier knocked him straight back down to the ground.

He crashed right through the floor of Maleficent's house, ending up right in the basement. Groaning as he sat up, he wondered immediately what had just happened. Why hadn't he been able to get through? Picking up a skull that he had found down there, he went straight back to the library to find Eraqus.

"What happened?" was all he could ask.

"The gate was there, but it didn't open. Something must be missing if you weren't able to use it. I'll try to find something, but I don't have high hopes. I can imagine the other ghosts are upset; it took a lot of energy to make that attempt. Even I've had difficulty picking things up, and humans can't see me anymore."

"What about my memories?"

"They'll come back with time. But if you really want to remember, try checking the graveyard, and come right back here when you're done."

Cross, all he could do was comply. His return surprised even him; there was a woman there. She was wearing a short blue tank top, long black leggings, and had blue hair and eyes. She was crying as she left flowers at his gravestone, then turned and left. Curious, he went to look at it again. The inscription was complete now.

_In loving memory of_

_Terra Stone_

_1981-2010_

So _that_ was his name! But who was that girl? She seemed awfully sad. Maybe Eraqus would know about her.

* * *

The two were now focused on trying to figure out how to get the gate to open. Terra had asked Eraqus if he knew anything new about the three ghosts. "Well," he started, "as you know, Maleficent lived in the house that burned to the ground. I examined it, but I couldn't find anything amiss. Then again, that was my first time being there, so I couldn't tell if anything had been added or removed. The hospital ghost died because of a drunk driving accident, and Ventus happened to be the driver. He's been drinking himself into unconsciousness every day since then out of guilt. But I don't believe Vanitas died on impact. I haven't been able to find anything new about Xion, but I'd give up on her if I were in your place."

"Is there anything I can do to get information quickly?"

"There is one way; the police archives. Just type someone's name into the computer, and you'll find helpful information on them. You can try it if you want."

* * *

The police station was quiet; both of the people there were asleep. Perfect, now he could get the information he needed. First, to experiment, he typed in 'Eraqus Hikari'.

_Status: Deceased; Heart failure_

_Address: N/A_

_Former detective. Survived by family unknown. Removed from active duty; Hikari then created his own private-eye agency. No known successful cases._

Interesting; this needed some looking into. Curiously, he typed in 'Xion Twilight'.

_Status: Deceased; Suicide_

_Address: N/A; previously 341 Canyon Way_

_Suicide; found in home. Self-hanging. Note discovered, linking suicide to daughter's death. Daughter: Maria Twilight (deceased). Husband: Riku Twilight (deceased)._

So she killed herself after her daughter died… no wonder she felt so guilty. Next he typed in 'Vanitas Shade'.

_Status: Deceased; Homicide_

_Address: N/A_

_Deceased in hospital after car accident involving Ventus Gale. Gale-Shade case closed, Gale guilty._

The next name was 'Maleficent Blackheart'.

_Status: Fire_

_Address: N/A_

_Deceased November 12th, in case #29881. Accidental fire, in-home. Survived by husband Ansem Blackheart. Possible arson considered. Case vs. Blackheart dropped Feb 2__nd__; lack of evidence._

Curious about if he could use it for people who were still alive, he typed in 'Ventus Gale'.

_Status: Living_

_Address: N/A_

_Charged with DUI in case of Vanitas Shade assault and homicide. Blue '82 Honda Civic impounded, never claimed. Guilty verdict in Shade case. Gale sentenced to 2 to 4 years, released after 2 months. Supported by brother Roxas Gale. Medical expenses and charge given to Roxas Gale._

Finally, trembling, he typed in 'Terra Stone'. He wanted to find out how he died.

_Status: Deceased; Homicide_

_Address: Formerly 17 School Road_

_Killed on April 30__th__. Case file #99821. Witness: Aqua Ripple. Gunshot to head, no weapons recovered. Ripple suspected, case on hiatus. Ripple puts blame on an unidentified tan silver-haired male mugger._

His breath caught in his throat. Homicide? He was murdered? And his killer was still out there? And Aqua… was that the girl who left him the flowers? He shook his head to clear his thoughts; right now, he had to deal with the other three ghosts.

* * *

He decided to try the school first. The first thing he saw was that same little girl, Kairi, hiding from those same kids from earlier up in a tree. They were waiting for her to come down so they could tease her some more, he guessed. What to do… now there was an idea! This girl could be just the thing to cheer poor Xion up.

He saw poor Xion weeping in her usual corner, but she stopped crying when she saw him. He beckoned for her to follow him, and she obeyed. When she saw what was going on, her aura swelled, catching their attention and causing the punks to flee screaming like they had done before. Kairi was still shivering up in the tree, unwilling to come down.

Gently, Terra passed Xion the necklace. Xion floated up to Kairi and extended her hand, offering the necklace. Smiling, Kairi took it. "Thank you, miss ghost!" she said happily, putting it back on. Xion smiled before fading into the air, looking far happier than she had ever been before.

* * *

He next went to the hospital. Imagine his surprise at what he saw. Ventus was in the hospital bed, curled up in agony. The clipboard at the foot of the bed said that he walked into traffic while drunk and the doctors had no idea who he was. Vanitas was nowhere to be seen.

Terra knew what that meant. He headed out to the parking lot and just as he suspected, Vanitas was holding a doctor a good foot off the ground by his ankle, laughing at his screams of fear. "Hey!" Terra snapped, startling him into letting go. Vanitas escaped back into the hospital, Terra in hot pursuit.

The two ended up back in the room, Vanitas scowling more deeply than he ever had before. "I hate this guy," he started. "He hit me while he was drunk, and now he's in here because he was drunk. It's his stupid fault. He started it by hitting me, and the doctors who didn't realize I was dying finished the job for him. Now you know why I hate doctors so much."

"That's a pretty good reason. But everyone makes mistakes once in a while."

"I don't." A scowl from Terra discouraged him. "Okay, I'll admit holding that doctor by his ankle and terrorizing him like that was a little overboard. Are you going anywhere with this?"

"Didn't you notice that the gate didn't open?"

"Yeah. The school ghost, I think her name's Xion, said something about us having to redeem ourselves before we can pass on. How am I supposed to do that?"

"You could forgive him. He has a brother, but the doctors don't know that. Couldn't you let them know somehow?"

"…Fine, I'll help him. I'll go get a doctor. I just hope you're right about this, or I'll have helped my worst enemy for nothing." He vanished after that, leaving a note on the clipboard about his brother. Smiling, Terra went to his last stop.

* * *

Maleficent immediately took notice of him when he entered. "I've finally figured out where that bastard husband of mine lives. But I've decided not to take action until I remember more."

"Maybe this will help," Terra suggested, handing her the skull.

"Where did you find this?"

"In the basement of your old house. Why; did you remember something?"

"Yes; now I know what was in the basement! Ansem Blackheart, you'll burn for this!" she screamed, vanishing again. Terra immediately followed her; he had to see this for himself. She finally stopped at a house near the edge of town, lighting it on fire in a fury before disappearing again. Terra spotted a figure fleeing the burning building, but couldn't get a good look at him.

* * *

As he made his way back to the library, he spotted a strange man taking a picture of the graveyard from a distance. That looked extremely suspicious to him, so he turned around and followed him instead. He finally stopped at a small blue house just east of the police station, but he shut the door, and the window was shut tight. How strange… he'd have to tell Eraqus about that.

* * *

"That's very strange… and we know for a fact that that man is Ansem Blackheart, Maleficent's former husband. Go back to that house he ran to and stake it out; there's likely to be something there," he instructed.

"Alright, but before I do, I want to know where you get all this information from," Terra said firmly.

"Alright then, it's only fair. I was a police officer when I was alive, and I worked on the serial murder cases. My own health problems removed me from duty, but I have continued to investigate them. I swore that I wouldn't give up until these cases were solved, and I won't let even death stop me."

"And what about mine?" Terra pressed. "You investigated my death; what do you know?"

"All I know is that we found you dead with a gunshot wound to the head in the graveyard. I couldn't find any suspects at all."

"That can't be helped. So what about that house he ran to?"

"It most likely a temporary base. But there will most likely be some clues there about what he's up to. I'm counting on you; don't miss this chance!"

* * *

The window was open by the time Terra got there, so he climbed in and looked around. There were some pictures there that weren't there before, so he took a closer look. To his shock, they were all pictures of women. There were hearts around the pictures, and most of them were crossed out. Captions underneath the pictures had their names and addresses. One of them was Maleficent.

To his shock, there was a picture of him as well, dead with blood pouring out of a head wound. The caption simply said; "Terra something-or-other. Aqua's fiancé. Got in the way." Within seconds, the memory flashed through his mind.

_There was no time to react; the other man had drawn a gun on the girl. He acted fast, pushing her out of the way. Pain shot through his head, and he knew no more. "Aqua… I'm sorry…" he said with his dying breaths._

So this was the guy who killed him! He took a look at the last picture; a picture of Aqua. There was a heart around it, but it wasn't crossed out. He read the address quickly and flew to the library as fast as he could.

* * *

"From the looks of things, you were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. On a more positive note, you may have saved that woman's life," Eraqus encouraged. Terra sighed.

"I know, and I should be happy about it, but I can't help but feel upset that he's still getting away with this," he answered.

"I know. But that's enough evidence to bust him. The women in the photos were all victims of the serial murders. That's enough to prove that he's the one killing them all."

"Hold on; then that means… Aqua!"

"I know; she's in danger of being the next victim," he said gravely. "My range won't allow me to go that far, but you can get to her. Hurry before it's too late!"

Terra didn't need to be told twice.

* * *

The door was open, so Terra rushed in. "Aqua!" he shouted desperately. She was there, reading on the couch, as beautiful as he remembered. He knew now; he had asked her to marry him, and she had said yes. They were going to be married in a week, but his unfortunate demise had ruined that.

"Aqua, I'm here!" She didn't hear him at all. "Aqua, please listen to me! You have to get out of here before it's too late!" It was no use. He tried grabbing her to get her attention, but she just shivered a little at his non-existent touch. His mind raced; what should he do? He had to protect Aqua, but how could he do that if she couldn't see him? Angrily, he stormed out of the house.

As soon as he exited, Ansem approached. Before Terra could attempt anything, he made it into her house. A scream brought chills into his body; he was going to kill her! Maleficent showed up a few seconds later. "It's far too late, Ansem. I've followed you all the way here and now you might as well give up! I'm going to burn this building to the ground before you have a chance to escape again!"

"No!" Terra shouted, getting in the way.

"Why not?" she remarked crossly.

"My fiancé's in there, and he's trying to kill her. I have to stop him before she gets hurt. You burning this place down will kill both of them. But if you'd be willing to work with me, I can get you your revenge without Aqua getting hurt," Terra pleaded.

Maleficent thought for a moment about this. "Very well. I suppose this is vengeance for you as well. Let me know when to do it."

* * *

Aqua froze, the cold metal of a gun pressing into the back of her head. "You don't know what I've been through. You can't understand. But in the end, you will," she heard her assailant say. "It is my right to educate the most beautiful… it is my duty! And at the end of time, they will all be by my side in heaven. You are truly blessed, to witness something great, tonight. You are witnessing my becoming! With each life, I become stronger, and the heaven beyond this earth is filled with the beauties I select, just as the lords of Egypt. All of the pieces are in place. For each body buried, there is one less voice that chants. And there will be peace. The Ultimate Peace for us both is Now. Pray for us both, make those your last words!"

'This guy's a nutcase!' Aqua thought to herself. She shook with fear; there was no escape for her. 'It looks like I'll be joining you in a minute, Terra.'

"What was that? Did you feel that?" her attacker asked, looking around. Aqua was confused; she hadn't felt anything. Suddenly, his sleeve caught fire. As he thrashed around, trying to put it out, the gun fell out of his hands.

"_Do it now!"_

"Terra?" she asked, turning around. She could've sworn she heard his voice.

"_Hurry! The gun's right there! You've got to shoot!"_

Reacting quickly, Aqua grabbed the pistol and pulled the trigger. Blood splashed onto the floor from the open wound as Ansem slumped down dead.

* * *

After everything was cleared up with the police and the media…

Shock, Lock and Barrel turned to less terrifying hobbies.

Eraqus the library ghost returned to his true calling.

Xion readied herself to see Riku and her child again, and Kairi lived on without fear.

Vanitas kept the hospital staff on their toes. No mistakes allowed!

Maleficent gained her resolution; Ansem would get his, in life or in death.

Aqua and Ventus found out that they had more in common than just a supernatural experience.

And when the gate finally opened, the case was finally closed.

* * *

A/N: Well, what did you think? R&R!


End file.
